Permanently in Love
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8. Come with me from Lebanon, my bride, come with me from Lebanon. Come down from Mount Amana, from the peaks of Senir and Hermon, where the lions have their dens and leopards live among the hills.
9. You have captured my heart, my treasure, my bride. You hold it hostage with one glance of your eyes, with a single jewel of your necklace.
10. Your love delights me, my treasure, my bride. Your love is better than wine, your perfume more fragrant than spices.
11. Your lips are as sweet as nectar, my bride. Honey and milk are under your tongue. Your clothes are scented like the cedars of Lebanon.
12. You are my private garden, my treasure, my bride, a secluded spring, a hidden fountain. Song of Songs 4:8-12
The Song of Songs is a beautiful story of love between a husband and a wife. Also, in a day when marriages are falling apart all around us, this is an encouraging book to read. Marriage can last and still be passionate.
If you want to look for more specific treasures, dig for facets of this two-sided gem: what to say to your spouse and what to do for your spouse. If you are unmarried, look for ways to support your married friends and encourage them to make their marriages work. They need cheerleaders.
As surely as time itself passes, the growth of familiarity in a marriage will cause the relationship to lose its initial sparkle. Glances and touches will no longer produce the same emotional responses. Conflicts and pressures will creep in, causing the man to lose his tenderness and the woman to lose her zeal for flirting. The world doesn’t help, either; in fact, external stress often works against the marriage relationship. But spouses can learn to be shelters for each other, and they can learn to make marriage fun.
When intimacy and passion decline, remember that they can be renewed. Take time to remember those first thrills, the excitement of sex, your spouse’s strengths, and the commitment you made in your wedding vows (Song of Songs 5:2-8). Be affectionate to each other every day and watch the excitement return to your relationship!
